Fluid control valve



Dec. 23, 1952 w. A. RAY 2,622,622

FLUID CONTROL VALVE Filed oct. 10, 1947 A n p1 E@ '55 3 4l L 5054 ,/i 32 4946 l 5/ "J 4543 28 Srmentor WML/AM ,4. RAY,

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Gttorneg Patented Dec. 23, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT FFHCE FLUID CONTRL VALVE Application October 1G, 1947, Serial No. 778,995

(Cl. B27-"720) 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to fluid control valves; thepresent application being directed to features of the invention disclosed in my copending appli cation Serial No. 544,511, noW abandoned, filed July 12, 1944, which copending `application is a division of application Serial No. 407,932, filed August 22, 1941, now Patent No. 2,358,999, issued September 26, 1944. The lpresent application discloses improvements over the device of the prior applications and is therefore a continuation-inpart thereof.

An object of this invention is to provide, in an automatic electrically-operated valve, novel means for operating the valve .manually in the event f failure of electrical-energy supply and for maintaining the Valve in operated condition, which means is vrendered inoperative upon restoration of the supply lto permit resumption of automatic operation.

For full understanding of the invention, and further appreciation of its features and advantages, reference is to be .had to the .following detailed description and accompanying drawing, and to the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is asectional view of a valve structure embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section taken generally along the line2-2 of Fig. l; vand Figure 3 is a diagram of an electrical circuit for controlling the operation of the valve.

In the drawing, the numeral H indicates a valve casing having an inlet l2 and an Voutlet I3 separated by a partition It; the .partition having in its vertical portion a port .l5 at Whose inlet end is a seat for a cupped closure It. The stem ll of the closure is guided in a central opening in a spider I8 which fits in the outer end of the inlet vpassage and is restrained from outward movement by a snap-ring 1Q. The closure Vi6 is biased to seated position by a spring 253 'coinpressed between it and the spider I3, and is guided in its movements by a plurality of .spaced vanes 2| projecting from the casing.

Closing an opening `through the vtop of the casing is a diaphragm 22, of flexible material such as leather or synthetic rubber, which is clamped at its margin to the casing by a cup-shapedmember 23 secured to the casing and having in its bottom an opening conforming to the adjacent casing-opening. Extending integrally from the upper side-portion of the valve casing is a bracket 24 upon Whic-h is mounted, by means of a pivotpin 25, a right-angled arm 26 which forms inside the casing a portion of a lever generally indicated at 2l' and which includes, at the side of the diaphragin outside the casing, another portion 23 which is secured to the arin 2t by'screws 29 passing through the diaphragm and forming a fluidtight connection. Pivotally mounted on the lower end of arm 26 is a rod projecting loosely within a cavity in the .closure-stern El, whereby rocking of the lever 2l in counterclochwise direction effects opening movement of the closure le.

The cup-shaped member 23 is closed at its top by a plate 3l so that the interior of this member forms a sealed chamber defined at its bottom by the diaphragm 22; leakage, to the exterior of the valve structure, of the fluid controlled thereby therefore being prevented in the event of rupture of the diaphragm; this feature being claimed in my copending application Serial No. 544,511 mentioned in the first paragraph of this application.

It will Vbe observed that the lever 2l is pivoted substantially in the plane of the diaphragm 22 so that movement of the diaphragm, as the lever is rocked, does not alter the volume of the chamber 32 above it nor the pressure of the air normally therein. This feature is claimed in my icopending application Serial No. 536,599, filed May 22, i944, now Patent No. 2,442,877, which is a division of application Serial No. 378,756, filed February 13, 1941, now Patent No. 2,354,7G4, granted August l, 1944.

Mounted in an Yopening through an angled portion of the plate 3l is a solenoid operator generally indicated at 33 and comprising a plunger-tube 3ft which is open to the chamber t2 so that the interior vof the plunger-tube, which is closed at its top by a stop-plug forms an extension of the chamber. Around the plungentube is an energizing coil which is held in place by a spring 3l' compressed against the top of the coil by a iitting 58 secured by a screw 39 to the stop-plug 35. The plunger Il@ of the solenoid operator is connected by a link t! to the right-hand extremity of the outside portion 25 of lever 2l, so that when the operator is energized the resultant upward attraction of the plunger, into engagement with the stop-plug effects opening of the closure I@ against the force of the bias spring 29.

Due to the tilted arrangement of the solenoid operator, when the plunger t@ is in attracted `position its lower end is held in tight engagement with the side wall of the plunger-tube 3ft bythe force of spring 25 acting through the lever 2?, so that vibration of the plunger when the operator is energized by alternating current is minimized; vthe upper end of the plunger .being centered in the tube by a stop-button 42 cooperating with a recess (not shown) in the center of the top surface of the plunger; this feature being claimed in Patent No. 2,358,999 mentioned in the rst paragraph of this application.

A roller 43 is pivotally mounted at its ends in openings in a vertical portion of the leverportion 29 and in a. bracket 44 secured to the lever. Cooperable with this roller is a cam 45 carried by a rod 46 which is supported in a bushing 41 threaded in a thickened portion of the side wall of the member 23 and is provided at its outer end with a handle 43; the outer end of the bushing being formed to provide shoulders which limit movement of the handle to an arc of 90 (in clockwise direction as viewed from the left of Fig. 1) from the position shown. To prevent leakage around the rod 46, a plurality of grooves 49 is provided therein, the grooves being packed with a suitable sealing lubricant.

The cam 45 is slotted to fit the flat sides of the inner end-portion 50 of the rod 46 and abuts another cam which in turn abuts a shoulder formed by an enlarged portion 52 of the rod; the cam 5| having an opening conforming closely to the shape of the flattened portion 50 of the rod. The cams 45 and 5| are held in place by a leaf-spring 53 apertured to t on the rod-p01'- tion 50 and bearing against a screw 54 threaded in a transverse opening through that portion. As is better seen in Fig. 2, the screw 54 is grooved to cooperate with a bent-up portion 55 of the cam 45, which portion is slotted to receive the neck of the screw and pinched around it. By manipulation of screw 54 the projection of cam 45 from the rod can be adjusted. The rod 46 is biased to its rotary position shown in the drawing by a torsion spring 56 connected at its ends to the cam 5| and to the bushing 41; the spring also being arranged to urge the rod in outward direction so that the outer shoulder of the enlarged rod-portion 52 bears against the adjacent surface of the bushing for sealing purposes.

The cam 5| is of insulating material and cooperates with a switch mounted directly above it. This switch comprises a base 51, of insulating material, which is secured to the plate 3| so as to sealingly cover an opening therethrough. As is seen in Fig. 2, the base 51 supports three terminal posts 58, 59 and 60. Clamped to the underside of the base by the post 60 is a resilient switch-blade 6| which carries a contact element 62. Cooperable with the element 62 is another contact element 63 provided at the bottom of post 58. The center post 59 forms no part of the switch and serves merely as means for anchoring connecting leads or wires. Clamped to the underside of the base by the outer terminal posts is a strip 64 of brous material which serves to insulate the exposed bottom end or" the center post 59.

Covering the solenoid operator 33 is a housing 65 which fits freely around the sides of the member 23 and is held in place by a pair of screws 66 threaded at their lower ends in a bracket 61 secured to the switch base 51. In the side wall of this housing is a fitting 68 for introducing the electric service and control wires.

Referring now to the diagram of Fig. 3, the numeral 69 indicates a control device of the automatic switching type, such as a thermostat, which is connected by wires to the terminal posts 58 and 66. The coil 36 of the solenoid operator is connected to the posts 59 and 69; and the electric service lines, indicated at 1|, are connected to posts 58 and 59.

Normally, the operation of the valve is controlled electrically in response to the demand of the control device 69 which, when in circuitclosing condition, connects the solenoid coil 36 to the service lines 1| so that due to the resultant upward attraction of the plunger the lever 21 is rocked counterclockwise to effect opening of the closure I6; the lever rocking in the opposite direction under the force of the bias spring 29 when the solenoid is deenergized upon opening of the control device.

To open the valve manually in the event of failure of the electric service, the rod 46 is rotated by means of its handle, in counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, so that the cam 45 is brought into engagement with the roller 43 and by continued rotation effects rocking of the lever 21 to open the closure; the roller resting in a notch 12 in the tip of the cam when the handle is in its fully-moved position. When the handle is released the parts remain in their moved positions, the roller being latched in the notched portion of the cam under the force of the bias spring 29. With the parts in their latched positions, the closure I6 is substantially fully-open and the plunger 40 in partially-attracted position, indicated by the broken lines 13, out of engagement with the stop-plug 35.

In the aforementioned operative movement of the cam-rod 46, the cam 5| engages the switchblade 6| and iiexes it upwardly so that the contacts 62-63 interengage. Since the switch constituted by blade 6| and contacts 62-63 is bridged across the outer terminal-posts 58 and 60, it is in parallel with the control device 69; the solenoid coil 36 therefore being connected by this switch to the service lines 1|, so that upon restoration of electric service the solenoid operator is energized an the plunger 4U moves, from its partially-attracted position shown by the broken lines 13, to its fully-attracted position in engagement with the stop-plug 35. This upward movement of the plunger effects rocking of lever 21 suiicient to effect release of the roller from the notched portion of the cam 45, so that the cam-rod returns to normal position, as shown in the drawing, under the force of the torsion spring 56, and automatic electric operation of the valve is resumed.

If, upon restoration of the electric service, the control device 69 is in circuit-closing condition, the plunger will be retained in fully-attracted position and the valve will remain open; on the other hand, if the control device is then in open condition the operator will be deenergized by the opening of contacts 62--63 upon return of the cam-rod to its normal position, and the valve will close. By arranging the manually-operated switch within the chamber` 32, the valve-opening, switching, and latching operations are accomplished by means of a unitary cam means. If it is desired to close the valve before restoration of electric service, this can be done by forceful rerotation of the cam-rod; the notch 12 being made relatively shallow to permit such operation.

The specific embodiment of my invention herein shown and described is susceptible of modication Without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I intend therefore to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a flow-controlling system of the type which comprises a valve body having a passage therethrough, a valve member in said body for controlling flow through said passage and biased to one controlling position, an electromagnetic operator mounted on said body and having a mechanical connection With said valve member, a source of electrical energy, first switching means for connecting said source to said operator, said operator being effective through said inechanical connection and when energized by current from said source to operate the valve member to another controlling position, manual means for operating the valve member to said other position in the event of failure of said source, and additional switching means actuated by said manual means when the samel is in valve-member operating position for connecting said electromagnetic operator to said source ndependently of said first switching means: a lever arranged adjacent said additional switching means and constituting said mechanical connection, a manually rotatable rod mounted adjacent said lever and said additional switching means and constituting said manual means, unitary cam means on said rod operatively cooperablc with both said lever and said additional switching means, means forming a latch for maintaining said rod in manually operated position dur- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,051,938 Carlson Aug. 25, 1936 2,155,358 Cyr Apr. 18, 1939 2,245,834 Sparrow June 17, 1941 2,269,016 Gille Jan. 16, 1942 2,358,999 Ray Sept. 26, 1944 2,442,877 Ray June 8, 1948 

